Pink-rimmed gefilte fish, from a recipe by Jamie Geller, uses the fish sold in frozen loaves.

Written by

Linda Lombroso

So why are the Monsey-based founders of A&B Famous Gefilte Fish convinced their ground-fish loaves — sold frozen, not in jars — can make the Passover staple so popular that even non-Jews will clamor for a taste?

Simple, says A&B’s Shalom Halpern: A loaf of frozen gefilte fish, cooked for about an hour and a half, is worlds away from the jarred kind. Imagine, instead, a dish more like pâté or terrine.

The company makes more than 20 varieties, including low-carb, gluten-free and sweet-and-savory Hungarian.

Getting the public to try it, however, has proved difficult. “Once they see the word ‘gefilte,’ the vision that comes to their mind is gooey stuff in gel,” says Halpern, A&B’s sales and marketing manager. “They think they know what it is, and they already know they don’t want to taste it.”

When they do, the reaction is always positive, adds Halpern, whose efforts at rebranding the product find him flying around the country convincing people they don’t know what they’re missing.

“One 40-year-old woman said ever since her grandma passed away, she’s never tasted such delicious gefilte fish. It’s only been the gunk in the jar,” he says. “That’s the way she described it.”

Although fresh-made gefilte fish has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts — Brooklyn’s Gefilteria and Kutsher’s Tribeca in Manhattan both offer varieties made with sustainably sourced fish — it is rare to find the home cook who still makes it from scratch. Traditionally, the dish, which originated among the Jews of Eastern Europe, calls for ground fish — often whitefish, pike or carp — and requires ample time for preparation and cooking.

A&B, founded in 1972 by Monsey fish mongers Abe Koth and Ben Berger, wasn’t always in the gefilte business. But when the pair got stuck with a surplus of whitefish, their wives suggested they use it to make gefilte-fish loaves that could be frozen and sold to customers. Those loaves flew out of the store, says Halpern, snapped up largely by Orthodox women tired of spending hours making their own. The company, which spun off a gefilte-fish division in the early 1990s, still owns and operates a fresh-fish store in Monsey, where frozen loaves and platters of cooked fish are readily available. All its gefilte fish is produced at a 17,000-square-foot facility in Paterson, N.J.

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If more people knew how tasty and versatile gefilte fish can be, it could easily become popular, says kosher-cooking maven Jamie Geller, who until recently lived in New Hempstead. Each of her cookbooks features recipes for different styles of gefilte fish: spicy, pink-rimmed, mashed into croquettes or stuffed in the middle with a carrot. Condiments include wasabi, mayonnaise, tartar sauce and horseradish. “Like chicken, you can do anything with it,” she says. “This is one of those things that hasn’t gone mainstream yet.”

To kick-start that move into that mainstream market, A&B is considering subtle changes that would eliminate consumers’ prejudice. Recently the company offered supermarket shoppers tastes of its salmon gefilte-fish roll, calling it instead “premium salmon roll.” Everyone loved it, says Halpern, who dreams that one day places like Au Bon Pain will offer the item on the breakfast menu, served on a nice piece of toast.

Motty Berger, son of founder Ben Berger, says A&B’s plans are indeed grand. “We’re thinking a few years from now, every person in the United States will have gefilte fish on their table,” he says.

In a large bowl combine gefilte fish, peppers, onions, celery, ½ cup mayonnaise, dill, salt, pepper, egg and matzo and stir well to combine. Using slightly wet hands, scoop ¼ cup and form into patties. Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes before frying.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Fry patties in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. (Can be kept warm in the oven at 250).

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 cup mayonnaise, lemon juice and horseradish and stir. To serve, plate 2 cakes on a small plate and garnish with a tablespoon of horseradish sauce.